In the discussion of the background that follows, reference is made to certain structures and/or methods. However, the following references should not be construed as an admission that these structures and/or methods constitute prior art. The inventor expressly reserves the right to demonstrate that such structures and/or methods do not qualify as prior art.
Online social networks permit individuals to share and distribute information, including photographs, news, opinions, and links to websites external to the social network. These social networks, which include Facebook.com (Facebook), MySpace.com (MySpace), Twitter.com (Twitter), and LinkedIn.com (LinkedIn), provide a platform on which many individuals publish or distribute information to one another.
Social networks facilitate among their members communication associated with events or objects external to the social networks. Many public figures use Twitter, a micro-blogging platform and social network, to communicate information directly to followers, interested individuals, the press, and fans. Many private individuals use Facebook or LinkedIn to communicate with their friends and associates. As part of these communications, individuals sometimes share a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with a particular piece of digital content, such as a news story, media content, or web page.
However, no apparatus, system, or method can provide information regarding a rate of change in activity or a speed of spread on a social network or multiple social networks regarding a particular piece of digital content in the manner of the present invention. Additionally, no apparatus, system, or method can rank a piece of digital content against another piece of digital content based on the rate of change of activity or the speed of spread through online social networks. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an apparatus, system, or method that can provide information regarding the rate of change of activity on a social network or social networks regarding a piece of digital content, and in particular, an apparatus, a system, or a method that can rank this digital content based on the rate of change of such activity.